Karen Betts, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, said: “It’s very encouraging to see growth in the Scottish economy in the first quarter of the year, and the substantial contribution Scotch Whisky has made to that. The Scotch Whisky industry, which employs more than 10,000 people in Scotland, adds almost £5 billion of value annually to the Scottish economy. The economic growth we see in the figures announced today reflects the performance of Scotch Whisky in the first quarter of the year, where Scotch exports were £878 million, up 10% on the first quarter of 2016.

“To ensure this success into the future, it’s vital that the Scottish and British governments work with the industry to ensure our needs are taken into account as Brexit progresses, including by supporting an open, global trade policy; securing a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU, and the benefits of EU free trade agreements with third countries around the world until ambitious new bilateral trade deals can be negotiated; and supporting a tax and regulatory agenda at home that provides a platform for international growth for British exporters.”

Other facts and figures:

In the UK in the first quarter of 2017 the number of bottles of Scotch released for sale increased 5% to 18.4 million bottles from 17.5 million in the first quarter of 2016.

In the year ending March 2017 Scotch exports benefited the UK’s trade balance by some £4.1 billion.

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